Depeche Mode light up Kia Forum on Memento Mori tour

After a sold-out performance earlier this year at the Kia Forum, English electronic icons Depeche Mode returned to the same venue to begin closing out their U.S. tour. Singer Dave Gahan and guitarist/keyboardist Martin Gore performed the first of four sold-out shows: two at the Forum and the final concerts taking place at Crypto.com Arena.

A massive Christmas tree illuminated the parking lot, acting as a pillar to guide fans to the venue. Cars lined in droves, reaching the neighboring SoFi Stadium, revealing just how packed the performance was. Much of the seats were filled while the explosive Scottish band Young Fathers opened. Not long after, fans in Violator tour merch let out screams of excitement as the lights dimmed to reveal fog and an instrumental outro to “Speak to Me.” The final song off the band’s latest record, Memento Mori, opened the show. The band then performed the first two tracks of that album, “My Cosmos is Mine” and “Wagging Tongue,” as a large LED-filled letter “M” became more and more apparent.

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With a more brooding tone set, Depeche Mode kicked it into high gear with a throwback to 1993’s Songs of Faith and Devotion, “Walking in My Shoes.” Gahan strutted left and right of the stage, coming to the perch of the catwalk, where he pointed at his own white boots during the track’s performance. Much of the set consisted of fan favorites, transporting the audience to their youth with songs like “Policy of Truth” and “Everything Counts.” Gahan kept the intensity at a high, often asking fans to clap and sing along as he pointed his mic to the audience. “Great job LA, much better than San Diego,” Gahan expressed with a wide smirk.

For the 10th track, Gahan left the stage and allowed Gore to take the spotlight, performing “A Question of Lust” (one of the few tracks with him on lead vocals, although he wrote most of the band’s music). A surprise followed, where Gore took to the catwalk, getting close to the audience for a solo acoustic version of “Strangelove.” The 17,500 capacity arena shrunk to an intimate dive bar setting, with audience members gleefully cheering him on. Gahan, once back onstage, asked the audience to give Gore his flowers once more before going into the Memento Mori song “Ghosts Again.”

Although the band commanded the arena, oozing stage presence as a duo, the absence of founding member Andy Fletcher was felt. The tragic loss of the keyboardist in 2022 rattled not only the new-wave and electronic scene, but the music world as a whole. With the latest album artwork and music videos, Gahan and Gore are standing alone together, in black and white, seemingly making it apparent how the loss of Fletcher hurts. His memory continues to live on through the music, as well as Depeche Mode fans. Gahan shared such sentiments, dedicating “World in My Eyes” to Fletcher. At this tender moment in the performance, Depeche Mode ended with arguably their most well-known track “Enjoy the Silence” before heading offstage.

After a chant from the crowd, Gahan and Gore were welcomed back for a four-song encore, treating longtime fans to 1981’s Speak & Spell cut “Just Can’t Get Enough” and Violator’s “Waiting for the Night.” The band also saved 1987’s “Never Let Me Down Again,” most likely due to the recent uptick in popularity from its usage in 2022’s hit HBO series The Last of Us. At long last, the band concluded night one of two at the Kia Forum with “Personal Jesus,” having fans groove to the heavy baselines and lyrics. Gahan and Gore wiped the sweat from their brows, smiling ear to ear with a noted appreciation for the fans of Los Angeles, most likely recalling memories of ’80s and ’90s runs at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl and LA’s Dodger Stadium. The band will continue touring, taking their live show spectacle back to Europe for the first half of 2024.

Depeche Mode December 10, 2023 setlist, via Setlist.fm